Mad about science in Schrop Intermediate School

After school was dismissed for the day, students, parents and siblings returned to Schrop Intermediate to learn more about science Nov. 18. It was a record breaking crowd of more than 185 students and 150 parents that came to the Polymer Science and Family Science night.

By CR Rae

The Suburbanite

By CR Rae

Posted Nov. 26, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 26, 2010 at 1:38 PM

By CR Rae

Posted Nov. 26, 2010 at 12:01 AM
Updated Nov 26, 2010 at 1:38 PM

Springfield TWP, Ohio

After school was dismissed for the day, students, parents and siblings returned to Schrop Intermediate to learn more about science Nov. 18. It was a record breaking crowd of more than 185 students and 150 parents that came to the Polymer Science and Family Science night.

The University of Akron (UA) brought future science teachers to set up science projects that “wowed” the crowd. The college students visit Schrop twice a week, teaching science lessons to the students.

“The kids love polymer day,” said Springfield teacher Holly Reed.

Reed said the school is working with a grant for Family Science Night from Kent State University and Miami University. The two events were held in conjunction with the teaching candidates working with students in one area and students from Springfield High School science classes working with students in another area. Teachers from Schrop were on hand as well as Dr. John Milam from the Department of Education at UA and Angele Wagers and Dr. Karen Helfer from the Polymer Department.

Reed said some of the teachers took a workshop over the summer to add more writing into the curriculum of the subject of science.

“So we have been doing writing in the classroom and working with Miami and Kent State,” said Reed.

Helfer said the grant is funded by the U.S. Department of Education through the College of Education, the College of Polymer Engineering and the College of Polymer Science at the university.

“We do this to increase awareness in science, technology, engineering and math careers for students,” she said.

“Because our relationship with Schrop teachers, the principal (Lisa Vardon ), the students and this community is so strong, we advocated upon everybody’s behalf to extend this a third year as part of the Department of Education,” said Milam.

He added that the program was intended to end this past summer.

“We had learned a lot about innovating science teaching and the things we wanted to learn through the program. We realized we had a good thing here and decided we would put in the work on our end for a third year if the university would fund it, and they did,” he stated.

“The teachers were wonderful in promoting this and so many came to participate,” Helfer said.

At the end of the evening there were drawings for door prizes. The prizes came from the U.A. grant and allowed the majority of children to go home with a gift and everyone enjoyed refreshments provided by the parent group.

Vardon stated that the students will be taking a field trip to the university in the spring.

“It is wonderful to expose them to the university on the field trip,” she said. “Just working together with the university is great for us. The students love having the teaching candidates in each week. It is great having the parents in and having them working together with the students. I love family night and the interest it is sparking in science is wonderful.”